Pastrami Lumpia – Girls Can Grill

Crispy pastrami lumpia filled with melty cheese and fried until golden brown. An easy Filipino-inspired appetizer for parties.

What Is Lumpia?

Lumpia is a Filipino-style egg roll. It’s made with special wrappers that are a bit different from egg roll or wonton wrappers.

Lumpia wrappers are thin and are only made with flour and water, with no egg. When fried, they’re smooth and super crispy.

Similar to egg rolls, lumpia is usually made with vegetables and either ground pork, chicken or shrimp.

This recipe is a fun twist, using pastrami and cheeses.

Get Recipe Ingredients

• Make Filling: In a bowl, combine the pastrami, cheeses and salt to taste.

• Roll Lumpia: Layout a sheet of lumpia. Add a couple tablespoons of filling on top. Fold in the sides. Fold the bottom half over the filling. Shape into a cigar. Start rolling. Dip your fingers in a small bowl of water and brush them on the end. Finish rolling to seal tight. (see pics below)

• Heat Oil: Place the oil in a sauce pot. Heat it to 375F degrees.

• Fry: Add 3 lumpia into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes, until golden.

• Drain: Place the fried lumpia on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Calories: 459kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 13gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 20gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 723mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill

What You’ll Need

• Smoked Pastrami: This is great if you have leftover homemade corned beef or pastrami. You can also use pastrami from the grocery store.
• Shredded Cheese: For a more reuben-style flavor, use swiss cheese. For a more mild flavor use Monterrey Jack cheese.
• Cream Cheese: You’ll need half a brick. Let it come to room temp, so it mixes in better.
• Lumpia Wrappers: You’ll find these in Asian markets in the freezer section.
• Oil: For frying

Substitutions: If you can't find lumpia wrappers, you can also use egg roll or wonton wrappers. 

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

Homemade Beef Brisket Pastrami

Learn the entire process for making homemade pastrami. You just need the meat, corned beef brine, pastrami rub and a smoker.

View Recipe

How to make pastrami lumpia

Step 1: Make the Filling

In a large bowl, combine the pastrami, shredded cheese and cream cheese. Season with salt to taste.

I find it easiest to mix everything together with my hands.

Step 2: Roll Up the Lumpia

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on a lumpia wrapper. Fold over the sides. Then, fold up the bottom to cover the filling.

Pinch the lumpia into a shape of a cigar. Start rolling it.

Dip your fingers into a small bowl of water. Brush that water onto the top edge of the lumpia wrapper. Then, roll tightly. Continue with all of the wrappers and filling.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: You can make the lumpia up to this point and freeze them for up to 3 months or refrigerate them for 1-2 days. 
When freezing them, it's best to freeze in a single layer. Then, once they're frozen, place them in an airtight container. Otherwise they may stick together. 

Step 3: Fry Lumpia

Heat a pot of oil on the stove over medium heat to 375F degrees. Add a few lumpia to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden.

Step 4: Drain

Place the fried lumpia on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to remove excess oil. Season with a pinch of salt while they’re still hot.

Step 5: Make Dipping Sauce

This recipe includes an optional dipping sauce. Just combine mayonnaise, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and Girls Can Grill Brisket Rub in a small bowl.

It tastes best if you refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

How to Serve Lumpia

Place the lumpia on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce. If you need to feed a larger crowd, you can cut each lumpia in half.

These are great for parties and celebrations.

Storage

Lumpia is best eaten right away. Otherwise, it can get soggy.

But if you do want to save it, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Reheat it in the oven or an air fryer to crisp the shell back up.